Welcome

Welcome to West Scotland Deaf Children's Society

We offer help and support for families with deaf children in the West of Scotland.

We can help you cope with initial diagnosis, help you understand terminology and the professionals you will deal with e.g. the Audiologists, the Consultants.

We can help you understand what level of support your child is entitled to in Education whether that be nursery, primary, secondary or further education - main stream schooling or specialist hearing impairment units.

We can help you understand what benefits you may be entitled to for your child.

27 March 2019

WSDCS are delighted to announce that we have once again been successful with our application to the Better Breaks, Short Breaks Fund. This week we received a fantastic award of &pound12,497.00 from the Short Break Fund, to enable us to continue to provide the Mini-Saturday Club (0-5), Saturday Club (5-12), the Youth Group (12+) and the St Roch's After School Club. Provision of these clubs is an extremely important part of our work and the service we provide. We hope you will join us in offering a huge thanks to everyone at Shared Care Scotland for the amazing support they have given us!

27 March 2019

An exciting opportunity for Deaf Awareness Week!

The lovely people at Clydesdale Bank want to raise some money for us and highlight Deaf Awareness week in May. They are looking to display the artwork of our very talented children and young people in their branch in the city centre for all their customers to appreciate and enjoy!
We would really appreciate if you could help us by having your child/young person create an A4 drawing or painting of themselves; or them and their family; or maybe even some art which shows what being deaf means to them.

This is a fantastic opportunity to highlight deafness to the world and help raise some money for our charity and the clubs. Each child will be rewarded with a certificate recognising their contribution to Deaf Awareness Week and there will also be prizes for the best in each age category!

We will need the artwork by no later than the 29th April. Any and all artwork is greatly appreciated! So please get painting and help us raise deaf awareness in the process!

For further details please contact the office on 0141 243 2958 or at wsdcs@btconnect/com

19 March 2019

Glasgow Kiltwalk - 28th April 2019

A group of WSDCS staff, trustees, members, family & friends are this year taking part in the Glasgow Kiltwalk to raise much needed funds. Would you like to join us? Sponsor us? If so, please contact us on 0141 243 2958; or at or on Facebook. This is a fantastic opportunity to raise lots of money to help us continue to support all deaf children, young people and their families throughout the West of Scotland. Especially, as Sir Tom Hunter & the Hunter Foundation will add a further 40% to the sum raised. So please, do what you can and help us to, not only make this one of our most successful fundraising events ever but, to raise deaf awareness and ensure that we help break down barriers for all deaf children, young people and adults wherever they exist.

04 December 2018

BSL Local Plans have now been produced by some of our colleges / universities in Scotland. These will be of interest to all who have an interest in further / higher education. The plans are in both BSL and English. Full information can be found using the following links:

11 September 2018

After a year-long effort to secure a subtitled IMAX screening with Cineworld. IMAX have very kindly shown their support in our fight for equality and offered to treat us to our own private screening!
Ant-Man and the Wasp Date: Saturday 20th October
Time: 12pm
Where: Glasgow Science Centre
50 Pacific Quay
Glasgow
G51 1EASince IMAX will be paying for your ticket, all you need is money for juice and sweets!
Please let us know if you would like to attend and how many people will be in your group by contacting: or contacting Iain via our Facebook Group.
This is our chance to show cinemas and movies productions companies that there is a strong demand for subtitled movies. The screen we have been allocated holds 360 people. Let's get it filled!
We look forward to hearing from you and hope you will join us in thanking IMAX for all their support.

04 September 2018

The West of Scotland Deaf Children's Society (WSDCS) is an affiliated charity of the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS). We are committed to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people. We are based in and work in the West of Scotland.

Family Support Officer

West Scotland

25 Hours Per Week

Based in central Glasgow

Salary &pound19,240

WSDCS is an established Scottish Charity committed to providing support to families with a deaf child in the West of Scotland. We have a long tradition of working in a positive way with families, keeping them at the centre of everything we do. We are an organisation led by a group of dedicated volunteers with direct experience of having a deaf child and committed to providing excellent support and services to families.

We are looking for an exceptional Family Support Officer who can make a big difference to the lives of deaf children and their families in West Scotland. The focus of the role will be to provide information and support to families and carers of deaf children and young people and support our wider programme of activities for local families with our dedicated team.

WSDCS works closely with NDCS and other professionals and organisations across sectors to provide the best possible support for families who have a deaf child. We work closely with NDCS to ensure a consistent and high quality support and information is available and our family officer works to the same child centred principles and practice.

For an application pack please contact Carol Campbell on 0141 243 2958 or email Carol on and we will send you an application pack.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Carol or Iain on 0141 243 2958

The closing date for applications is 9am on Tuesday, 25th September 18.
We expect interviews to be held in Glasgow mid October 18

WSDCS is aiming to be an equal opportunities employer and is committed to promoting work-life balance amongst its staff.
WSDCS is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and expects staff and volunteers to share that commitment.
WSDCS is a Scottish Registered Charity (SC012285).

20 February 2018

Deaf Connections U-aspire project are offering free family sign language (BSL) classes for Deaf/hard of hearing children or hearing children with Deaf parents (CODAs), Age 5 to 18 years old.
Parents, carers and siblings are welcome but places are limited for each family.

14 February 2018

SCoD / WSDCS / ITV Film Project

WSDCS in conjunction with the Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD), and with the support of ITV, would like to participate in producing several short films related to safety; and health & wellbeing. These films are for deaf young people and we believe that the best people to learn about, discuss & present information on these issues are deaf young people (and parents/carers) themselves. Films made by the deaf community for the deaf community!
We are looking for a group of approximately 20 of our deaf young people (12+) to join us for this exciting project. Each clip will take the form of an 'Infomentary'. They will be fully accessible, inclusive and available on YouTube: around 5 - 7 minutes long and in a filmed format, in BSL, with subtitles and voiced over information.
We do not want/or need you to share your personal experiences. We just want you to be interested and open to learning about these subjects and to share your views with us and your deaf peers. All films will be developed with the support of suitably qualified adults and will be fully accessible to all.
Please note that we cannot guarantee that everyone who registers interest will be selected, or will ultimately appear on screen, but if you would like to be a part of this innovative & exciting opportunity, please contact us as soon as possible by telephone: 0141 243 2958; email: ; or Facebook to register your interest.
We look forward to hearing from you.

These are a great resource for any young deaf people, families or anyone learning BSL! Please note we've been informed that the storybooks are best viewed using Google Chrome and please remember to give some feedback at the end of the stories.

05 March 2018

PLEASE SUPPORT WSDCS!!!

As you know we were proud to announce that West Scotland Deaf Children's Society had been chosen as recipients for the Co-op Local Community Fund. The funding round began on 12 November and will run for 11 months until the 27 October 2018.

We are delighted to let you all know that we will receive &pound1,185.53 from the first round of Co-op funding This is an amazing sum and we are extremely grateful to everyone who is supporting us! Please remember, every time a Co-op member shops and chooses selected Co-op branded products both the member and the community benefit!

5% for the Co-op member: paid into membership account which can be spent next time you shop; or saved to spend whenever you want.

AND

1% for your community - 1% of what members spend goes to the Co-op Local Community Fund and you can choose where this money goes from a number of local causes. Members will be able to choose and give their 1% as of now until the 27th October 2018. The more you shop, the more raised for the charity. We will also receive, along with the other causes in our community, an equal share of the money raised from sales of carrier bags.

We are also lucky enough to be supported by two local stores - Union Street & Sauchiehall Street, who will on top of the funds raised by other stores be championing the causes of WSDCS, Bobath and Street Pastors. Look out for them at future WSDCS events as they will be coming along to lend their support!

This is a wonderful opportunity for us to raise much needed funds and we would ask you all to support us. So please:

if you're already a Co-op member, go online and click on West Scotland Deaf Children's Society as your chosen charity:

and

if you're not already a member then please join and encourage all of your family, friends and colleagues to do so too. It only costs &pound1.00 to become a member and you will quickly recoup that from your 5% savings.

Please help us raise as much money as possible to enable us to continue to provide support to all deaf children and their families throughout the West of Scotland.

07 June 2017

An innovative new service for Deaf patients is currently available in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
British Sign Language (BSL) Online interpreting means that Deaf patients are able to communicate with staff while waiting for a face to face interpreter to arrive. The service, available in the QEUH Accident & Emergency Department and the Support & Information Service, is already having a significant impact on the experience of Deaf patients, particularly with regard to unplanned visits.
The online service means that staff can quickly link up to an interpreter at any time - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - and communicate with their patient. It can also be used during hospital stays, when an interpreter is not always present. Patients can use the service to communicate with staff and with family members at home, helping to reduce the feeling of isolation.If you would like to access the online service contact the Support & Information Service on 452 2387

02 June 2017

We heard that Ashleigh Purves made it back to Earth after doing a Sky Dive and raised £305 to date for us! WSDCS thank Ashleigh for her bravery and her contribution to the Society. Thank you so much Ashleigh!

01 June 2017

The Stirling Marathon took place on the 21st May and one of the runners, Clare Phillips chose to run in our name. She raised an astonishing amount of £657.50. We thank Clare for all her hard work and dedication on the day and hoped she rested easily after it! Thank you so much Clare!

31 May 2017

British Deaf Association Scotland are having a Deaf Roots and Pride Day on Saturday 10 June 2017 from 1pm to approximately 3pm and are having a free guided tour in BSL of the Riverside Museum for all families where a parent and/or a child is deaf.

This will be a great opportunity to meet new people and make friends! Everybody is welcome, but please note that children under 16 can come along only if accompanied by an adult. The meeting place will be outside the main entrance.

To help them with numbers, it would be great if you could contact Lesley Winning at to confirm your attendance.
However, they welcome people who turn up on the day!

16 May 2017

CBBC TV Game Show

Fancy being involved with a brand new CBBC TV show?!
Do you want to challenge yourself?
Fancy tackling a series of physical and mental games?
Are you aged 9-13?

On Tuesday, the BBC Scotland and met with the Children's team. They are developing a new thrilling fantasy adventure gameshow for 9-13 year olds. They need young people of all abilities to apply and take part!

Applicants will be expected to immerse themselves in a world that adopts traditional values, so be prepared to have your bravery, teamwork and problem solving skills put to the test.

If you think you can do it, then get your application going!

The closing date for applications is THIS week: 19th May at Midnight (I know it's not a lot of time!) with auditions at the end of the month in Glasgow.

02 May 2017

The Deaf Sector Partnership are having a number of themed events organised for the Draft BSL National Plan Consultation open meetings across Scotland â they are 'MENTAL HEALTH', 'JUSTICE', 'SPORTS', 'HEALTH' and 'TRANSPORT'.

31 May 2017

Our extremely brave fundraiser Lauren, completed the Titan Crane Abseil on Saturday 27th May and shares the following with us: "I am extremely relieved to have my feet back on solid ground! Although I was very proud of everything that has came from it, it was also one of the most terrifying experiences I've ever taken part in!" - log onto our Facebook page to see her video!!!
So far, Lauren has raised just over &pound800 (not including any Gift Aid donations) so hopefully each of the two charities (WSDCS & Epilepsy Scotland) will receive at least &pound400 each.
Congratulations Lauren on an amazing feat! We are in awe! And offer our sincere thanks on behalf of all the children, young people and their families at WSDCS.
Don't forget,you can still support Lauren as sponsorship will remain open until the week before the Sports Day in Paisley. Lauren hopes to join us there and we look forward to getting the opportunity to thank her in person.https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/laurenkay-titancraneabseil-epilepsyscotland-wsdcs

18 April 2017

Wilson Leggett and his brothers will be cycling 500 miles in 5 days around the North Coast of Scotland to raise money for the West of Scotland Deaf Children's Society. We'd like to ask everyone to please show their support by donating and sharing the Just Giving link with friends and family.
We wish Wilson, Gregor, Stewart and Robert the very best of luck!

12 April 2017

On 17th April, Ashleigh Purves will be bravely participating in a skydive for West Scotland Deaf Children's Society. She has already raised a fantastic amount and we encourage everyone to go onto her Just Giving page and donate!

"Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving pageÂ & an even bigger thank you to anyone who is able to donate & help me reach my fundraising target! This Charity is one that is very close to home & the support they provide to deaf kids & their families is invaluable. It's time to recognise the importance of the amazing work they do & give something back to ensure they can continue to contribute in a positive way to the lives of those affected by deafness". - Ashleigh

12 April 2017

Studio Lambert, the BAFTA-winning TV production company behind Gogglebox, The Great Interior Design Challenge and Doctor in the House are currently producing a Children in Need Special of the hit BBC Two show "Big Life Fix", an exciting and innovative science series that sees a skilled team of scientists, engineers and designers create bespoke technology for individuals and groups in need of help to transform their lives for the better.

In the first series, the team came up with solutions for a range of issues affecting individuals and communities, including building a bicycle for a boy born with no hands or feet, making a new medical helmet for a little girl who just wants to fit in with her friends, and adapting a camera for a budding photographer who can no longer use his hands.
For the Children in Need Special they are again looking for more children who feel they could benefit from a tailor-made invention. Whether it's a condition or disability that prevents a child from doing something they love or used to love doing, or a daily problem or challenge which you think could be helped by the brilliant team of inventors, they would love to hear from you and have requested that we share this information with you.If anyone is interested in applying, they can call the casting team on 0203 040 6908 or email . They have stated that all calls will be treated in the strictest of confidence. Alternatively, a short contact form can be filled out here to express interest in the show: http://www.studiolambert.com/take-part-the-big-life-fix.html

On 21st May, Clare Phillips will be taking part in the Stirling Marathon in aid of West Scotland Deaf Children's Society. Her story is below.

My name is Clare Phillips I'm 45 yrs old and have 3 children and a west highland terrier as my lovely dog.
I work full time as a self employed hairdresser which I luckily enjoy very much.
I also run for fitness, freedom and challenge and I've given myself the biggest running challenge for myself yet. I have chosen to take part and run
In the Stirling marathon on the 21st May!
I've chosen this organisation because deafness is very close to my heart.
My beautiful niece was born profoundly deaf. Due to the fact of advanced technology and fabulous parenting with support on excessive speech and language she has progressed to a fabulous bright hearing 6 year old !!!

I am delighted to be able to support this organisation it makes me excited to support someone out there who needs it.

For families of children aged 0-5 years with a hearing loss or parents with a hearing loss with hearing children aged 0-5 years. Come along, have some fun, refreshments and meet other parents and families.

15 March 2017

The Scottish Government's Draft British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan is now open for consultation!

The Scottish Government has opened the consultation on the Draft British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan for the next three months until Wednesday 31 May 2017.

This draft plan covers the whole of the Scottish Government and over 50 national public bodies that Scottish Ministers have responsibility for. Other public bodies, including local authorities and regional NHS boards, will publish their own BSL plans next year. This first BSL National Plan will cover the next six years to 2023.

Anyone in Scotland can contribute to the consultation. Please spread the word!

There will be a number of consultation events taking place around Scotland. The DSP will also have some themed consultation events - they're currently looking at 1.) Education; 2.) Health; 3.) Mental Health; 4.) Justice; 5.) Transport and 6.) Employment. If you would like more information, please get in touch with DSP or check out both the DSP website or Facebook page.

07 February 2017

NDCS would like to hear from deaf children and young people up to 24 years living in Scotland. It's only four questions! - takes less than a minute.

Over the last 2 years NDCS has worked with swim schools across Scotland to train coaches in deaf awareness and BSL for swimming, provide swimming lessons and taster days and develop resources for swimming providers (For more info visit: http://www.ndcs.org.uk/swimming).
NDCS would be very grateful if you could let them know if you've been involved, attended an event or used this project's resources at all and what you think they should do next.Parents/carers please do help deaf children who are too young/unable to complete themselves.

18 January 2017

Have you ever wanted to create your very own TV report based on a subject you were interested in?

Good news!There is a fantastic event coming up soon from Sky Academy Skills Studios!

This is for those in high school and upwards. From this young students can work with the team of experts, latest cutting edge technology, green screens, bespoke touch screen edit tables and broadcast quality cameras.

We hope to inspire young people with this Sky Academy experience and enrich their learning about the Studios.

The day and time of this event will be on the 5th of April from 1:30p to 4pm.

However, there are limited places for this outing!It will be on during the Easter break.

As a coach will pick us up and bring us back, the charge for the coach is non-refundable and there will be a BSL interpreter available.

09 January 2017

BDA Scotland Deaf Roots & Pride project is recruiting for Mentors for Deaf young people and the deadline for applications is 26 January 2017.

Full details can be found on BDA's website, newsletter, Facebook and Twitter. If you know of anyone who may be interested please pass on this information; or if you yourself are interested please contact - BDA - http://www.bda.org.uk/jobs-mentors-central-belt

16 November 2016

NEWS from SOLAR BEAR:

Introducing Victoria Paulo and her role at Solar Bear as Company Support Manager and to offer support to members and those interested in becoming involved in the arts.
There are information about some of the new classes and funding that are now available that run in partnership with the Royal Conservative Scotland (RCS).

All courses are accessible for D/deaf and HoH students and are taught bi-lingually in BSL and English.

This information is being sent out to groups local to Glasgow and Nationally; please note that the Transitions 20/40 programme covers the cost of travel, Accommodation and access for RCS lifelong learning courses.

Course starts 10th Jan 2017. Cost &pound316.00 for the year, costs can be paid in monthly instalments and scholarships and bursaries are also available, contact: email /FaceTime to find out more.

Age range 16 years plus.

Transitions 20/40: This is a funding programme for people living within SIMD postcode groups 1 & 2. The funding will pay for travel, access and course costs for RCS life long learning courses. Anyone can apply for this funding regardless of age. http://www.rcs.ac.uk, transitions 20/40.

If you have any questions, require more information or would like a member of Solar Bear and/or the RCS to come and speak to you, please do not hesitate to contact:

30 August 2017

For families of children aged 0-5 years with a hearing loss; or parents with a hearing loss with hearing children aged 0-5 years. Come along, have some fun, refreshments and meet other parents and families.

There are some new classes and funding that are now available that we run in partnership with the Royal Conservative Scotland (RCS). All courses are accessible for D/deaf and HoH students and are taught bi-lingually in BSL and English.

Wednesday evenings 7pm - 9pm Deaf Youth Theatre, run by Solar Bear. Sessions take place at Scottish Youth Theatre, 105 Brunswick St, Glasgow, G1 1TF. There is currently a waiting list so please contact: by email/FaceTime to be added to the list. New places will be available in January 2017. Cost &pound3.00 per week. Age range 12 yrs to 22yrs. http://www.solarbear.org.uk

Age range 16 years plus. Transitions 20/40: This is a funding programme for people living within SIMD postcode groups 1 & 2. The funding will pay for travel, access and course costs for RCS life long learning courses. Anyone can apply for this funding regardless of age. http://www.rcs.ac.uk, transitions 20/40.

02 November 2016

British Deaf Association would like to take this opportunity to tell you about exciting new 3 year Big Lottery funded Deaf Roots and Pride (DRP) Scotland project and to introduce the project team. DRP is aimed at Deaf children and young people (aged 8 - 20 years) who are transitioning from primary to secondary education or from secondary education to external environments. It will provide Deaf mentors who will support Deaf children and young people to build confidence and increase their participation in school, social activities and within their families. The project will provide opportunities for Deaf children and young adults to be exposed to rich Deaf culture, Deaf identity and BSL by working and meeting positive Deaf role models and by showing them their future potential.My name is Lesley Winning and I am the Project Administrator. My role is to support the Mentoring and Transition Officers to ensure that the aims of the project are achieved.

Charlene Dolan is the Transition Officer for the project and her role is:-

to empower Deaf children and young people to remain engaged in education, develop coping strategies and skills, and improve their understanding of what advice/support is available to them.

to provide opportunities for Deaf young people to attend workshops, career events and lifelong learning programmes.

to organise and deliver three years of transition training.

Toni George is the Mentoring Officer for the project and her role is

to give young Deaf people the opportunity to meet positive Deaf role models (mentors) and to show their future potential through mentoring support.

to research, set up and deliver training, and recruit and support freelance mentors.

If you know or work with Deaf children and young people from 8 - 20 years old who might benefit from the Deaf Roots and Pride transitioning and mentoring project, we would very much like to meet with you to discuss working together to support them at these challenging stages in life.
Charlene Dolan e: sms/facetime: 07795 822102 skype/oovoo: charlenedolan and Toni George e: sms/facetime: 07814 675589 oovoo: mentordrp.scot

25 October 2016

Exploring Transitions: An Important Survey

We are seeking the views of views of young people and their parents and carers for an important national piece of work.

ARC Scotland have been commissioned by the Scottish Government to map the availability of planning and support for people aged 14 - 25 years who have additional support needs in Scotland.
A central part of this work is to ask young people and their parents / carers about their experiences during this important time of their lives.

Two surveys have been created, one for young people and the other for parents and carers. We would like your help to circulate these to as many people as possible.

The findings will be published in early 2017. This will help the Scottish Government, local authorities, and other organisations to make decisions about how support can be improved for people with additional needs that are in 'transition' to young adult life.

The survey should only take between 10-30 minutes and must be completed by Friday 11th of November. The participants will be anonymous.

30 August 2016

Visible Cinema at Glasgow Film Theatre is a monthly film club for Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences, featuring a captioned or subtitled screening followed by a post-film discussion enhanced by BSL and Speech to Text Service.
Twitter - Keep up to date with news and events from:@glasgowfilm#VisibleCinema or by liking their new Facebook page: facebook.com/VisibleCinema
Facebook@Visible Cinema at GFT

10 August 2016

The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) are undertaking a survey of deaf and hard of hearing people to understand their experiences of getting help with civil legal problems. Civil legal problems include things such as divorce, buying a house, and disputes about money or goods.
The purpose of this survey is to improve understanding of the types of problems deaf people face when they look for help with a legal problem. This work is part of their duty to monitor access to legal services. You can take part in the survey using the following link:

29 August 2016

Lynn Robson and her family held a Charity Event yesterday, Sunday, 28th August 2016 from which the proceeds will be donated to WSDCS. The first part of the day quite literally kicked off with a Charity Football Match in Townhead Park with a variety of stalls in the park including:- Crafty Goodness; Tin Tin Treasures; Claire Cut Gemmell Hair Accessories; Catrina's Gifts; Kelly's Sparkle Box; Flava Shaka; Buttercup Dreams; Made for You. This was followed by an event at Cumnock Juniors Social Club with Live Music from Sunset Lane & Los Peros; The Wee Yins Karaoke Disco & a Raffle was also held.
The whole day was a fantastic success. It was enjoyed by everyone and has seen them raise the incredible sum of &pound2302.37. Lynn wrote:

"Wow jst wow cannot describe the feeling of being overwhelmed with everyone's generosity in taking part in yesterday's charity event the total this morning is now sitting at &pound2302.37 with donations still coming in I honestly can't thank everyone enough xxx big thanks to all the stalls and everyone who donated prizes also big thank you to Emma Davidson and Marion Gilliland for selling tickets and last but certainly not least thanks to Elaine Suzanne Withers with sunset Lane Connor Johnston with Los Perros and Eleanor Blackwood who helped get the entertainment sorted and turned out the tunes xxx"

On behalf of everyone involved at WSDCS we would like to take this opportunity to offer our sincere thanks to Lynn, her family and friends for organising this amazing day, full of fun activities, in aid of our Society. Also a huge thank you to everyone who went along to the event and supported them. We are truly grateful and the money raised will be used to enable us to continue to support deaf children and their families throughout the West of Scotland.

02 August 2016

Linda Mooney and her colleagues at the Clydesdale Bank have once again, very kindly, held fundraising activities in support of WSDCS which resulted in them making a fantastic donation totalling &pound1820.05. Part of their week long activities was an exhibition of photographs taken by one of their staff Ian Middleton. Ian's work, which we were fortunate enough to be invited along to see, was displayed for sale in the staff restaurant and we were blown away by his amazing talent! But you don't have to take our word for it. You too can view and purchase these photographs by logging onto:- http:www.ianmiddletonphoto.com/p539267905 As before all profits will go to our charity.

On behalf of everyone at WSDCS, particularly the children and their families, we would like to thank, Linda, Ian and all of the staff at the Clydesdale Bank for their fantastic fundraising efforts and continued support of the Society.

NDCS have been commissioned by the Scottish Government to research whether Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) would be a better way to deliver audiology services in Scotland. MCNs would ensure all children and people in Scotland would be entitled to the same care, no matter where they live. MCNs also provide the opportunity for families, children and young people to be more involved in the planning and delivery of services.

15 June 2016

Glasgow Film Theatre is proud to share the documentation video for their successful school & public screenings of POWER IN OUR HANDS A compilation of historical archive footage of the Deaf community.
In an exciting twist of fate, a group of builders accidently stumbled across long-lost film from the British Deaf Assocation, dating back to the 1930s. The forgotten footage has now been compiled into a documentary with its narrative being the recognition of British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf rights. This film presents Deaf people as an active and resilient community that have long-campaigned for their language to be recognised.
You can view the film on https://vimeo.com/160597694

Glasgow Film Theatre would like to say a big thank you to their audiences and to Geraldine Heaney for making this film. Thank you also to the BDA and the ICO for their support through this journey.

01 June 2016

Family Sign Language Glasgow
Learn to sign with your deaf child and their siblings!
Your Child, Your Choices is delighted to offer Family Sign Language sessions for the whole family. Deaf children aged 4 - 8 and siblings aged 4+ are invited to join you in NDCS's fun, interactive sessions which will show you how to use signs in everyday communication. Childcare facilities are available for children aged 0-3 years.

24 May 2016

Paul Wilson is running in the Edinburgh Marathon, this Sunday, 29th May 2016, on behalf of West Scotland Deaf Children's Society. Paul says "I am running my first full marathon for West Scotland Deaf Children's Society because I want to help support young deaf people." Paul has already raised funds by organising bag packing at Morrison's in Johnstone last month.

On behalf of all the children and their families we would like to thank Paul for all his efforts. We truly appreciate everything he is doing in aid of WSDCS and wish him the very best of luck for Sunday. Thank you Paul & Good Luck!,

23 May 2016

There is now a closed Facebook group established - BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 YNAG - for deaf young people aged 10 to 18 years old - it is a place where deaf young people can share their ideas, feelings, views with other peers and also to support the three representatives of the Youth National Advisory Group (YNAG). Please pass this information on to let any deaf young people know about this group - we want to ensure that there are as many deaf young people aged 10 to 18 years old as possible involved with the YNAG: their future is so important!
A young person should be 13 years old to have a Facebook profile; so if that is the case with any deaf young people that wish to participate then please do let Alison Hendry know and she will arrange for alternative access to information for these deaf young people.

If there are any problems or questions please get in touch with Alison Hendry, Youth Participation Officer, Deaf Action by email at or Mobile (SMS only) 07891 173627 or by Skype: AlisonHendry16.

13 April 2016

04 April 2016

PRESS RELEASE

Young Deaf people empowered by BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 Youth National Advisory Group members announced

In March 2016, a new expert National Advisory Group (NAG) was set up to support the implementation of the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act that was given royal assent last October. The Act puts a duty on Scottish Ministers and public bodies to put in place a British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan by October 2017. Today, the Youth representatives have been named and will represent the opinions and views of young Deaf people, whose first or preferred language is BSL, in this group.

Five Deaf adults whose first or preferred language is BSL as well as a hearing parent of a Deaf child whose first or preferred language is BSL, a Deaf parent of a Deaf child and two Deafblind BSL users were announced last month. The public bodies' representatives were announced at the same time.
Deaf Action and National Deaf Children's Society Scotland (NDCS Scotland) on behalf of the Deaf Sector Partnership facilitated a number of workshops for young Deaf people between the ages of 10 and 18 (21 years of age if the person has been in care). These workshops then fed into a group that is now known as the Youth NAG (YNAG). This YNAG will be a forum for young Deaf people whose first or preferred language is BSL across Scotland to share and discuss their views and experiences, which will then be taken to the NAG by the young Deaf people elected to represent them. The YNAG elected three of their number to the NAG. While it was originally envisaged that there would be two elected representatives, circumstances led to three being elected.

The representatives are:

Abbie Steggles: Comes from a hearing family and is bilingual in BSL and English. She has been attending classes to improve her BSL which she really enjoys. She wants better BSL access in schools as this would help to break down the barriers that BSL users face on a daily basis. Abbie is very enthusiastic about ensuring that young Deaf people are included as much as possible.

Amy Dawson: Comes from a Deaf family with Deaf parents. She has been a BSL user from birth. She is passionate about improving services in education, particularly ensuring that a Deaf child receives as much BSL support as possible throughout their school years. Amy has experience of meeting politicians so feels confident that she will be able to represent the views on behalf of young deaf people in Scotland.

Lewis Ross: Comes from a Deaf family with Deaf parents and two hearing brothers. He has been a BSL user from birth. He is passionate about helping BSL to be more widely recognised and that BSL users feel happy and comfortable using their language.

16 March 2016

"We are doing 'The Mighty Stride' 26 miles for West Scotland Deaf Children's Society because we support WSDCS work helping families adjust.
We are walking this year to raise essential funds for the West of Scotland Deaf Children Society in appreciation of the fantastic support they have provided to our missing Amigo (Siobhan who is unable to join in the challenge this year) when needed to adjust to her daughters hearing difficulties."

16 March 2016

The Scottish Youth Parliament's latest campaign is around the issue of young people's mental health and wellbeing and it is called Speak your Mind.
Details of the campaign can be found here - http://www.syp.org.uk/speak_your_mind

15 March 2016

A new expert advisory group has been appointed to support the implementation of legislation which will improve the way public services meet the needs of Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users.
This follows the introduction of the historic BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 last September, which recognised BSL as a language of Scotland, and will result in the first BSL Action Plan. Eight Deaf BSL users were recruited, as well as a hearing parent of a Deaf child, to work alongside public bodies - such as Creative Scotland, COSLA and the NHS - to support the implementation of the Act.

Minister for Scotland's Languages, Dr Alasdair Allan, announced the names today. He said: "It was a very competitive process, and we are very pleased with the new members we have recruited to help make BSL a key consideration for the public sector in Scotland. These people come from a range of backgrounds. Their skills and experience, and first-hand knowledge of the barriers Deaf BSL users face will play an important role in developing Scotland's first BSL National Plan. We're determined to ensure the new BSL legislation makes a real, practical difference to the lives of Deaf BSL users in Scotland. I am certain the BSL representatives we have appointed will ensure we do just that."

The representatives are:

Alison Marshall was born Deaf and began to lose her sight at age 12 with Usher Syndrome. Alison volunteers for 'Usher's Social' - bringing together Deafblind people from all over Scotland

Andrew Kay recently returned from working in the civil service in England to his native Scotland to champion BSL as a native language - a first language for many Deaf people.

Brian McCann works as an equality and diversity training officer for a local authority, and is the father of five Deaf children who use BSL. He said:
"I am delighted at being accepted to represent Deaf BSL users, there are so many facets within the Deaf world and I think NAG will be a perfect opportunity to showcase them, promoting awareness and accommodate much sought after resolutions."

Charlotte Addison works at an Additional Supported Learning school in Glasgow. She comes from a Deaf family, has a Deaf husband, and three hearing children.

Debra Wherrett grew up using BSL, but as her vision deteriorated, she began using Hands on BSL. She teaches Deafblind Communication and Deafblind Awareness.

Leona Glennie has used BSL all her life, and is losing her sight due to Usher Syndrome. She works for a Deaf charity in Aberdeen.

Moira Ross grew up with a hearing family, is married to a Deaf BSL husband and has two boys, one of whom is Deaf. Moira is studying drama at university. She said: "I am surprised and pleased because I fully support the Deaf community having access to resources and improving services. I am also excited that over the next two years we will hopefully make a lot of changes for Deaf people in Scotland."

Natalie Greenall - has vast experience volunteering with Deaf children and young people with additional support needs. Natalie is a new mum to a Deaf boy.

Hearing parent of a Deaf child, Lesley Ann Martin, uses BSL and works for a local authority as a Pupil Support Assistant. Lesley has devoted 10 years of her time for a local Deaf children's charity.

The two remaining places will be taken by Deaf people who are under 18 years old, and will be filled later this month. All members will be appointed to the group for two years, and will oversee the development of the first BSL National Plan.

15 February 2016

Financial Inclusion Survey - Have Your Say!

Under the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child, young people have the right to express their views on services that affect them. Glasgow Life would like to hear young peoples' views on some financial services that they may use. This survey can be completed anonymously if you wish and if you choose not to enter the free prize draw, no personal identifying information will be collected. This short survey should take no longer than 5 to 10 minutes to complete and the link can be found here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/KGDIZ/Survey and Prize Draw close at midnight on Sunday 27 March 2016.

15 February 2016

Prince's Trust Team Programme

12 Week Personal Development Programme

City of Glasgow College - Riverside Campus

An exciting new opportunity

Are you 16 - 25 and looking for a new challenge? Do you want to develop your skills? Gain Qualifications? Take part in team building activities, community project and work placement? Meet New Friends? Why not take part in the Prince's Trust 12 week personal development programme?

When: Next Start date : 14th March

Where: City of Glasgow College, Riverside Campus

Contact: Nicola Team Leader 07910 179 932;
Contact Nicola NOW to find out more information!

15 December 2015

Action on Hearing Loss Scotland are currently conducting a survey with people who use NHS hearing aids about the types of information and support they have received from NHS audiology and other hearing support services.

Like us, they believe that children/young adults, in every community, should be able to easily and conveniently access the full range of person-centred information and support needed to manage hearing loss in their everyday life. Through their survey, they want to find out about which parts of services are working well and where there may be room for improvement. They are also interested in finding out about the extent to which the levels of information and support varies for people living in different parts of Scotland.

We are delighted to promote this survey to deaf children and their parents/guardians in the west of Scotland. The survey can be completed online at http://www.hearingloss.org.uk/SCOsurvey and paper copies and/or alternate formats such as, large print or British Sign Language, can be requested by emailing or calling telephone: 0141 341 5330.

06 October 2015

We want to share the exciting news that there is a new Facebook group called BSL (Scotland) Act (2015) which was launched on 1 October. This is a follow up from the transition from the Scottish Parliament's BSL (Scotland) Bill Facebook group, to this new Facebook as part of the Deaf Sector Partnership project. So far it has over 1,500 members which is excellent news. Please join and support it

27 October 2015

A historic step forward was accomplished on Thursday, 22nd October 2015 when we were delighted to receive news from the Scottish Government that Royal Assent has been formally confirmed and so we can now refer to the BSL (Scotland) Act.

01 April 2015

West Scotland Deaf Children's Society's members, and their families and carers, have been asked if we could kindly get involved with Euan's Guide by submitting recommendations and reviews of accessible venues that they have visited. EuansGuide.com is a website and app that helps disabled people find out whether the places they want to visit are accessible to them.

It's simply a matter of registering then visiting http://www.euansguide.com/login/?destination=/write-a-review/ - They already have over 1700 venues and reviews on the website, of which the information provided is proving invaluable to disabled people, but West Scotland has found itself a little under-represented! The reviews can be for any place that can be visited, especially tourist attractions, restaurants, cafes and hotels.

Please feel free to take a look through the reviews they have so far. They would greatly appreciate if you could spread the word and encourage more people to share their experiences of disabled access through Euan's Guide.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Euan's Guide on 0131 5105106 and ask for Kevin Glover.

24 March 2015

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on detailed guidance that supports parts of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. This Act is a new law that will give children, young people and their families extra support and will encourage everyone to talk about children's wellbeing using the same words. The consultation on the guidance is due to run until 1 May. It is mainly aimed at the people who support your child - including parents' organisations - but individual parents are welcome to get involved if they wish. You can take part in the consultation via this link: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/1851

25 February 2015

We are delighted to advise you of the forthcoming launch of phase 2 of the NHS 24 BSL online Video Relay Interpreting Service pilot which is being extended to all public services on Monday 2nd March 2015.

Currently, the Scottish Government is funding an NHS 24 online BSL Video Relay Interpreting Service pilot which aims to improve access to health services for people in Scotland who are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. This pilot is helping to tackle the barriers and discrimination that the Deaf community face and supports public services in meeting their legal obligations in relation to the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010 and Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011.

In recognition that the Deaf Community deserves to have access to the same public services as everyone else, Ministers have agreed that the NHS 24 pilot should be extended to the rest of the public sector in Scotland and rebranded contactSCOTLAND.

This is a new cutting edge programme - it is the first nationally funded public sector Video Relay Interpreting Service pilot in the UK. It is a significant development for the Deaf community and more information on how the service will work can be found at http://www.contactscotland-bsl.org The website includes a video clip in BSL.
From Monday, 2nd March 2015 service users will be able to contact any public service they need through the BSL Video Relay Interpreting Service. The new extended service will allow Deaf people throughout Scotland to use BSL to make contact (webcam/signing) with public services, such as, their Doctor, Police Scotland (not Emergency 999 calls), Council Services, Housing, Social Work and NHS 24. This new service is part of a range of communication measures and does not replace, for example, the traditional face to face interpreting services which currently exist.

Please help us pass this information on to anyone who may benefit from it, to ensure that our Deaf community get fair and equal access to public services in the same way as others.